Maria Yvonne Crist

Maria Yvonne Crist serves as a key procurement lead within the USDA Forest Service-spoc Software, managing acquisitions that support the stewardship of national forests and grasslands through critical infrastructure and environmental services. She oversees the planning, solicitation, and award of contracts aligned with civil engineering, land management, and ecological restoration priorities, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and agency strategic goals. Her portfolio centers on infrastructure resilience, hazardous tree removal, reforestation, and site preparation initiatives, requiring technical expertise in environmental compliance and public works contracting. Crist maintains a consistent working relationship with McKenzie Construction & Site Development LLC, a primary contractor delivering site development and forestry support services. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships with firms possessing proven capabilities in forested land management, civil construction, and environmental remediation. She engages contractors through competitive sealed bidding and negotiated procurements, prioritizing performance-based outcomes and contractor reliability in remote and ecologically sensitive locations. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 71.4% of awards issued without set-asides. However, she actively supports small business participation, allocating 22.9% of opportunities to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and 5.7% to HUBZone-certified firms, demonstrating a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals without compromising mission readiness. Crist’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction), and 327390 (Other Concrete Product Manufacturing). She procures services including road and bridge maintenance, erosion control, concrete infrastructure elements, and signage for forest access points, alongside water supply systems for fire suppression and ecological restoration. Her technical domain expertise spans environmental engineering, forest infrastructure lifecycle management, and compliance with federal land use and safety standards.